The book consists of 29 papers presented at the Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA) conference held at UMass Amherst in October 2017. The essays are written in plain language and examine various aspects of television, social media, music, literature, sports and related areas. Many explore the ways in which these pop culture intersects with issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age and ability.

Norden, a former NEPCA president, also served as the 2017 conference's program chair. Weir, NEPCA's longtime Executive Secretary, succeeded Norden as the organization's president last year.

“Pop Culture Matters: Proceedings of the 39th Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture Association” was published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in the UK.